Biopatch with infection protocol may reduce exit site infections in tunneled hemodialysis
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Key takeaways:
- Researchers found 20 exit site positive swabs among 52 patients using a biopatch at baseline.
- The incidence of positive swabs dropped to nine with the biopatch when infection control protocol was emphasized.
SAN DIEGO — Use of a chlorhexidine foam dressing may reduce exit site infection rates for patients with tunneled hemodialysis catheters when certain protocols are followed, data show.
“Our main concern is [that] there is still a significant number of patients on hemodialysis catheters long-term. That could be for several reasons, but it comes with the risk of bloodstream infections because this is a tube going inside the body,” Nasreen Samad, MBBS, of the Royal Lon Hospital Barts Health NHS Trust, told Healio. “We are always looking for ways to reduce catheter-related blood stream infections.”
Researchers assessed the efficacy of the chlorhexidine-impregnated foam dressing in the form of a biopatch among 52 patients at Queens Hospital hemodialysis unit in Romford, United Kingdom. They studied whether the therapy would decrease infection rates for patients on dialysis when coupled with strict adherence to aseptic protocols.
During 15 months, Samad and colleagues gained verbal consent for dressing changes and exit site swabs from all patients with tunneled catheters. Sterile transparent dressings without the biopatch were used from January 2023 to May 2023 in an initial audit. From May 2023 to October 2023, researchers treated all patients with the biopatch as a standard. A reaudit was conducted from November 2023 to March 2024.
Overall, 13 patients had positive exit site swabs from January 2023 to May 2023, when the transparent dressing was used without the biopatch, the findings showed. When the biopatch was initially used from May 2023 to October 2023, researchers found 20 exit site positive swabs.
During the reaudit from November 2023 to March 2024, when staff were informed of the initial audit finding and the importance of aseptic compliance, the incidence of positive swabs dropped to nine, according to the findings. Samad said although the biopatch did not reduce infection alone, improvements were seen when combined with infection control adherence.
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